A full-tilt sprint down the stairs that had been cleared was the best path forward. They had to reach Vosahnn's sister. They couldn't end this with the nem's sister dead. They couldn't...!

Even as that fear played at Fanilly's mind, she spurred herself onwards. Not a moment of doubt could be allowed. For that single moment could be the difference between life and death for the girl who was at the bottom of the crypt. The roguish man who had been leading the mercenary reinforcements had made it sound quite clear that she was alive... and Fanilly hoped that whoever was at the bottom with her would rather have a hostage they could attempt to use then a corpse that would seal their fate.

Rescuing a hostage wouldn't be easy, but it was their best chance!

The mercenaries had divided their forces too, but the bulk of the reinforcements had accompanied the cloaked man that gone up the right side. The moment Fanilly met one of their number, a tall bald man with a two-handed hammer, she ducked low under the initial swing! Driving herself forward, he staggered back and used the handle of his hammer in a bit to deflect her thrust. It worked, metal screeching against metal as he raised his hammer again...!

But she was faster, slicing through his side, cutting through leather armor and flesh in a single swing. To end his suffering more swiftly, she thrust the blade once more, upwards and through his heart.

But as she turned...

Fanilly was forced to bring her sword up, sparks flying as metal clashed on metal. Her attacker this time was a man in armor, plate armor, with dark hair and a light beard, grinning as he pushed his strength against her. At his sides were no living, human mercenaries...

But skeletal husks, some with no flesh at all showing bleached white bone underneath, others displaying some scraps of flesh, holding swords and shields, axes and maces... there were at least a dozen of them.

This had to be the work of the necromancer...!

[hr]

The hulking Barukstaedian man was quite clearly a cut above the other mercenaries. Not only was he clearly far stronger and more skilled, but the runes on his armor and weapon spoke of some form of magical enhancement, though at the moment it was difficult to tell exactly what this meant.

What was quite obvious was the fact that he had already begun to move again, both hands on his two-handed axe as he made a bit to use the head as a ram, before swinging it once more to use the edge!

"Iron Roses? Yes, I'm quite aware," the hooded man commented, cocking his head as he spoke, face still concealed by the hood. "And I'm sure you would love to take me alive... but I think you're a little late."

Almost immediately he fired his crossbow before following it up with an incredibly, almost impossibly swift lunge forward. The mercenaries at his flanks, too, began their charge.

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